Class Features
All of the following are features of the Ranger class.
Favored Enemy ()
At 1st level, a ranger selects a creature type from the ranger favored enemies table. They gain a +2 bonus on
Bluff,
Knowledge,
Perception,
Sense Motive, and
Survival checks against creatures of their selected type. Likewise, they get a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against them. A ranger may make
Knowledge skill checks untrained when attempting to identify these creatures.
At 5th level and every five levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th level), the ranger may select an additional favored enemy. In addition, at each such interval, the bonus against all previously selected favored enemies increases by +2.
If the ranger chooses humanoids or outsiders as a favored enemy, they must also choose an associated subtype, as indicated on the favored enemy common types table. (Note that there are other types of humanoid to choose from—those called out specifically on the table below are merely the most common.) If a specific creature falls into more than one category of favored enemy, the ranger’s bonuses do not stack; they simply use whichever bonus is higher.
Track ()
A ranger adds half their level (minimum 1) to
Survival skill checks made to follow tracks.
Wild Empathy ()
A ranger can improve the initial attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a
Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person (see Using Skills). The ranger rolls 1d20 and adds their ranger level and their
Charisma bonus to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, the ranger and the animal must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
The ranger can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an
Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but they take a –4 penalty on the check.
Combat Style Feat ()
At 2nd level, a ranger must select one
Ranger Combat Style to pursue.
The ranger’s expertise manifests in the form of bonus feats at 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level. They can choose feats from their selected combat style, even if they do not have the normal prerequisites.
The benefits of the ranger’s chosen style feats apply only when they wear light, medium, or no armor. They lose all benefits of their combat style feats when wearing heavy armor. Once a ranger selects a combat style, it cannot be changed.
Endurance
A ranger gains Endurance as a bonus feat at 3rd level.
Favored Terrain ()
At 3rd level, a ranger may select a type of terrain from Table: Ranger Favored Terrains. The ranger gains a +2 bonus on
Initiative checks and
Knowledge (geography),
Perception,
Stealth, and
Survival skill checks when they are in this terrain. A ranger traveling through their favored terrain normally leaves no trail and cannot be tracked (though they may leave a trail if they so choose).
At 8th level and every five levels thereafter, the ranger may select an additional favored terrain. In addition, at each such interval, the skill bonus and
Initiative bonus in all previously chosen favored terrains increases by +2.
If a specific terrain falls into more than one category of favored terrain, the ranger’s bonuses do not stack; they simply use whichever bonus is higher.
Hunter’s Bond ()
At 4th level, a ranger forms a bond with their hunting companions. This bond can take one of two forms. Once the form is chosen, it cannot be changed.
The first is a bond to their companions. This bond allows them to spend a
Move Action to grant half their favored enemy bonus against a single target of the appropriate type to all allies within 30 feet who can see or hear them. This bonus lasts for a number of rounds equal to the ranger’s
Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). This bonus does not stack with any favored enemy bonuses possessed by their allies; they use whichever bonus is higher.
The second option is to form a close bond with an
Animal Companion. A ranger who selects an
Animal Companion can choose from the following list: badger, bird, camel, cat (small), dire rat, dog, horse, pony, snake (viper or constrictor), or wolf. If the campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic environment, the ranger may choose a shark instead. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the ranger on their adventures as appropriate for its kind. A ranger’s
Animal Companion shares their favored enemy and favored terrain bonuses.
This ability functions like the
Druid Animal Companion ability (which is part of the Nature Bond class feature), except that the ranger’s effective
Druid level is equal to their ranger level –3.
Spells
Beginning at 4th level, a ranger gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells, which are drawn from the
Ranger Spell List. A ranger must choose and prepare their spells in advance.
To prepare or cast a spell, a ranger must have a
Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the
Spell Level. The
Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a ranger’s spell is 10 + the
Spell Level + the ranger’s
Wisdom modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a ranger can cast only a certain number of spells of each
Spell Level per day. Their base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Ranger. In addition, they receive bonus spells per day if they have a high
Wisdom score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells). When Table: Ranger indicates that the ranger gets 0 spells per day of a given
Spell Level, they gain only the bonus spells they would be entitled to based on their
Wisdom score for that
Spell Level.
A ranger must spend 1 hour per day in quiet meditation to regain their daily allotment of spells. A ranger may prepare and cast any spell on the ranger spell list, provided that they can cast spells of that level, but they must choose which spells to prepare during their daily meditation.
Through 3rd level, a ranger has no
Caster Level. At 4th level and higher, their
Caster Level is equal to their ranger level – 3.
Woodland Stride ()
Starting at 7th level, a ranger may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at their normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment.
Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion, however, still affect them.
Swift Tracker ()
Beginning at 8th level, a ranger can move at their normal speed while using
Survival to follow tracks without taking the normal –5 penalty. They take only a –10 penalty (instead of the normal –20) when moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking.
Evasion ()
When they reach 9th level, a ranger can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If they make a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, they instead take no damage.
Evasion can be used only if the ranger is wearing light armor, medium armor, or no armor. A
Helpless ranger does not gain the benefit of
Evasion.
Quarry ()
At 11th level, a ranger can, as a
Standard Action, denote one target within their line of sight as their quarry. Whenever they are following the tracks of their quarry, a ranger can take 10 on their
Survival skill checks while moving at normal speed, without penalty. In addition, they receive a +2
Insight Bonus on attack rolls made against their quarry, and all critical threats are automatically confirmed. A ranger can have no more than one quarry at a time and the creature’s type must correspond to one of their favored enemy types. They can dismiss this effect at any time as a
Free Action, but they cannot select a new quarry for 24 hours. If the ranger sees proof that their quarry is
Dead, they can select a new quarry after waiting 1 hour.
Camouflage ()
A ranger of 12th level or higher can use the
Stealth skill to hide in any of their favored terrains, even if the terrain doesn’t grant
Cover or
Concealment.
Improved Evasion ()
At 16th level, a ranger’s
Evasion improves. This ability works like
Evasion, except that while the ranger still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, they henceforth take only half damage on a failed save. A
Helpless ranger does not gain the benefit of improved
Evasion.
Hide in Plain Sight ()
While in any of their favored terrains, a ranger of 17th level or higher can use the
Stealth skill even while being observed.
Improved Quarry ()
At 19th level, the ranger’s ability to hunt their quarry improves. They can now select a quarry as a
Free Action and can now take 20 while using
Survival to track their quarry, while moving at normal speed without penalty. Their
Insight Bonus to attack their quarry increases to +4. If their quarry is killed or dismissed, they can select a new one after 10 minutes have passed.
Master Hunter ()
A ranger of 20th level becomes a master hunter. They can always move at full speed while using
Survival to follow tracks without penalty. They can, as a
Standard Action, make a single attack against a favored enemy at their highest base attack bonus. If the attack hits, the target takes damage normally and must make a
Fortitude Save or die. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the ranger’s level + the ranger’s
Wisdom modifier. A ranger can choose instead to deal an amount of nonlethal damage equal to the creature’s current hit points. A successful save negates this damage. A ranger can use this ability once per day against each favored enemy type they possess, but not against the same creature more than once in a 24-hour period.
Ranger Variants
Many variations exist that alter or replace aspects of the Ranger class. These options can be found
Here.
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